In the Darkest Hour
by SinningBySilence
Summary: AU in Storybrooke—"Everything was Daniel, and nothing else mattered; not her past, not the pain she had endured, none of it. The only thing that mattered was the sheer joy and pleasure of that moment." **STABLE QUEEN, one-shot**


_**Well, this was...unplanned. I really wasn't sure if I was going to post this or not, but here we are (you can all thank my friend Marisa for convincing me this was a good idea). The story's pretty self-explanatory other than this is an AU and the canon does not apply. Usually when I write Stable Queen in Storybrooke, I have it in mind that Regina was able to help Daniel recover after Whale brought him back to life in "The Doctor" rather than having to make him disappear. Last time I wrote an AU fic, someone questioned how it was possible, but I felt to go into details would take away from the story. So, just keep that in mind as you read. :)**_

_**NOTE THE RATING! This contains explicit material. *hides behind desk* Please don't judge too hard for that? Anyway, I'll shut up now...**_

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Nights were difficult. Nights were when dreams would come to haunt her, despite the second chance she'd been given.

Dreams of her past. Dreams of losing the man she loved. Dreams of all of the lives she'd ruined as a result. They tormented her, ending in her screams and gasps for air. Often she would wake in a sweat, tears streaming down her face. The memories were so _vivid_.

Regina's hands would desperately reach over to the sheets next to her to seek out her bed partner. The first few times this had happened, he'd been startled. This was an entirely new thing to him, and he was still coming to grips with who she had become during his absence, helping her get past that. But as it became a regular thing, he'd become in tune with it and would often wake just before one of her fits.

As she would open her eyes to see him lying next to her, she couldn't help his name tumbling from her lips.

"Daniel . . ."

"Shhh," his voice soothed her as he pulled her into his arms and held her snugly to his warm body, gently stroking her hair. "It's okay, love. You're okay. That's all in the past. It's gone."

Daniel let Regina sob into his shoulder until she felt calm again. Even though he was right, that wasn't who she was anymore and she had him back, the pain was still real. She needed to let it out, and his warmth and love were her solace.

Most nights, that would be enough before she would drift back to sleep in his arms. And she knew he would stay awake until she dozed off again. But on other nights, like tonight, she needed more.

It started with a desperate, needy kiss. Her lips latched onto his, their tongues mingling, while her fingers thread through his hair. His response was almost immediate, holding onto her closer still and letting his hands wander down her body to the hem of her nightgown. Soon, the garment was tossed to the side, leaving her completely bare.

Daniel rolled them over so that she was below him. Regina preferred it this way on nights like this. It made her feel safe, completely engulfed in her husband and everything about him that she craved. She groaned as his lips peppered kisses across her jaw and down her neck. He took his time, nipping at the sensitive flesh and causing a shiver to run through her body.

He moved lower, bringing his lips down to her collarbone and her chest. Meanwhile, his fingers trailed up and down her sides, leaving a trail of goosebumps across her skin at his touch. She sighed softly as his hands traveled up to her breasts, first lightly massaging the edges before running over her sensitive peaks. His lips soon followed, allowing special attention to one before moving to the other.

He continue trailing kisses across her body, deliciously exploring every inch with lithe fingers all the way down to her legs. Anticipation grew as he found his way to her inner thighs, pressing slow, soft kisses to each as he came closer to where she most needed to be touched. Then his mouth was on her, and she couldn't help it when her head fell back into the pillow and a moan slipped past her lips.

Just as she reached the edge, however, he stopped. A disappointed whimper escaped her at the loss, but she was soon silenced by the feeling of his lips on hers and his arousal making itself known against her leg.

Regina quickly helped him remove his boxers, leaving his hardness to press against the wetness of her own arousal. He groaned as she reached down, taking him into her hand and stroking him before wrapping her legs around his waist. While she appreciated his teasing on other occasions, what she truly needed and craved was the _connection_.

For a moment they lay there, still, drinking in one another. His breath mingled with hers and their foreheads touched. Her hands trailed across his warm, smooth skin, up his back and to the nape of his neck.

"I need you," she whispered desperately, her eyes meeting his through the moonlight-pierced darkness. "Now."

Then her mouth was on his and her fingers thread through his hair to pull him impossibly closer to her.

A pleasurable sigh escaped her then as he finally entered her, and they began to move together, building a steady, tortuously slow rhythm. Regina held onto Daniel through it, relishing in every touch, every delicious kiss, every sweet moan, every comforting, endearing word he whispered to her. She returned all of it back to him, only fueling the flame that grew brighter and hotter between them.

As she drew closer to her peak, the world seemed to disappear. Everything was Daniel, and nothing else mattered; not her past, not the pain she had endured, none of it. The only thing that mattered was the sheer joy and pleasure of that moment. It was pure, blissful love—a love she hadn't felt for the longest time.

It poured out as they reached an end, letting go and exploding together. It radiated from him as they lay sated afterward, tangle in each other, exchanging the softest kisses and sweet nothings. It would still be there in the morning when she woke up to the quiet sounds of his snoring and the peaceful, happy look on his face as he slept.

After all this time, Daniel brought love back into her life again, and the nightmares _would_ eventually disappear. Knowing that he would never leave, that he would hold her hand through every second of it, gave Regina hope.

That was more than enough to continue holding on.

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_**There you have it. Judge away, my friends! Constructive criticism is wholeheartedly embraced, so don't be afraid to be brutally honest. :)**_


End file.
